@artskids That’s too much, its going to be an interesting summer lol !
Why IS everyone doing Newsies this year?
My real question is…are Summer Stock contracts pretty standard? This will be the first contract my 18 year-old D signs on her own. It’s a very reputable place with a standard ‘deal’ and she’s talked to students who have been there in past seasons (and the head of her MT program) so it’s not that I think it’s a shady deal. I just wonder at what point should these kids have an attorney look over a contract? Or is that where agents come in…when/if you get to that point?!
Congrats to the class of 2018 kids booking great summer gigs!! You were the first class I followed on CC, so thanks for paving the way, and sticking around.
And thanks @TheaterHiringCo - your “5” very helpful!!
@deelight - I think the reason everyone is doing Newsies is because the rights just came out - so it’s the first opportunity - and theaters like to be able to bill a “regional premiere”. (The offer my D is strongly thinking of accepting includes it in their season!) In answer to your other question - we didn’t have an atty look over the contract last year - mainly because (as you mention) it came from a theater where we knew the reputation from people from her program in the past and her program director. Probably won’t again this year - different theater - but same solid reputation. If she was considering an offer from a place that we didn’t know much about -I think we might have a different attitude.
@deelight I have/had same concern. Fortunately for me, my S has been following in @kategrizz D’s footsteps the last two summers (coincidentally), so she has been my expert. I recently joked with her that I need her D to book Broadway next year because my S is one summer behind her. 
My S has been good about not signing anything I haven’t read first, but I agree it is nerve wrecking to realize 18-19 yo freshmen are supposed to read and sign these documents.
I am a lawyer and my (young adult) kids occasionally should sign things without having me read them ~X( Luckily, they do send me their college leases and offers before signing them - usually about 10 minutes before signing but it’s a start!
Like @kategrizz - we have not had an attorney look over S’s summer contracts. There wasn’t that much “fine print” to get lost in and both entities have “good reputations”.
Thanks all! That @kategrizz is quite the ambassador, isn’t she @IfYouOnlyKnew - paving the way for many of us!!
Oh…and @artskids…that was funny. Probably better that way, or you might not let them sign anything…ever. Without a few mark-ups at least, right? (And YES! Young Adults! I need to stop calling them kids. Sigh)
Any Summer Stock news? And job offers yet from MWTA? My D’s friend has an offer from Grand Street Theatre.
D accepted an offer from Forestburgh Playhouse. Auditioned for them when they came to her campus.
Congrats to your D @kategrizz! It looks like they have a great season!
YEAH @kategrizz!
Yay class of 2018!!
Students have been getting calls this week from SETC auditions . . .
@janne006 My D also got offered a spot at Grandstreet from MWTA! She is super excited to have her first paid gig!
Question about Strawhats… are you not guaranteed an audition slot? And is not then what are the criteria for applying? Like how do they make decisions as to who gets an audition slot?
@theatrework - no guarantee for an audition slot at Strawhats even if you get your registration in as early as possible. Other regional auditions are first-come, first-served, such as Midwest Theatre Auditions where the slots go in the first 30 minutes of registration (d’s dance class halted for MWTA registration so that the students could all send in their registrations via their phones at precisely the moment when online registration opened).
From the Strawhats web page:
Eerily similar to the college audition process…
http://www.strawhat-auditions.com/app_faqs.htm#apps
http://www.strawhat-auditions.com/2016%20Criteria4Selection.pdf
Wow thanks @EmsDad as always !
I have a mom friend with an MT daughter who applied for the first time and did not get a slot and I feel like she wasn’t aware of the process and how apparently competitive it is.
Good to know for future reference !
I do think it is interesting how each school handles summer stock. There seems to be a real difference of opinions on school involvement, freshman auditioning, where you audition etc. not as cut and dry
Some things to think about when deciding where and when to audition for summer stock:
Colleges in the NE tend to start their school year later than those in the South and Midwest which means summer jobs in the NE tend to have later ending dates. Last year D and several friends were offered some nice opportunities at Strawhats, but were not able to take them because they had to be back at school before the contracts ended.
Also, some of the hiring organizations at Strawhats had already been to UPTAs and SETC prior to Strawhats and had already extended a number of offers. So for some theaters there were not many spots still available, particularly for larger roles, by the time they got to Strawhats. There are some theaters that only go to Strawhats so there are good jobs available there. But it is later in the audition season.
For those who might not be aware, like Strawhats, SETC has a screening process in order to be able to audition for summer stock/professional work. It is a live, in-person pre-screen, usually in late Fall. Because D’s school is not in an official SETC state, she had to go several states away to do her pre-screen which required an overnight stay. Just time and expense to consider. SETC changes its location each year. Next year’s SETC will be in Mobile, AL. (This year it was in Lexington, KY)
Midwest did not have a prescreen process, but it is a first come-first serve process - the spots go very, very fast. So you need to have the site pulled up and ready to go as soon as it opens for applications in order to try to secure a spot. It is at Webster University in St. Louis.
There are plenty of other opportunities for summer work also. Keep an eye out for auditions on campus and in your local communities. And use your network to find out when and where other auditions may be taking place. There are lots of great regional theaters that do summer shows, lots of outdoor theaters who do summer shows, etc…and they may have auditions locally and/or in several cities around the country. So do your research.